Associate Director - Internal Controls and Assurance (m/w/d)

Location: Cologne, Germany; work from home may be arranged where office presence is not required, including up to 20 days per year anywhere in the EU.

Company

hirify.global is a European e-pharmacy and listed e-commerce healthcare company focused on improving access to health products and services.

What you will do

• Establish and lead the Internal Controls & Assurance function, including its mandate, governance model, operating model, priorities, and team capabilities.
• Own the enterprise Internal Control Framework, control taxonomy, evidence standards, assessment criteria, testing methodology, sampling principles, and deficiency-rating framework.
• Expand risk-to-control mapping across Finance, Technology, HR, Operations, Pharmacy, Quality, Compliance, Privacy, Security, Sustainability, and other business areas.
• Set the annual risk-based assurance scope, review control-design conclusions and deficiency judgements, and oversee remediation.
• Challenge senior leaders and executives on control design, evidence, ownership, ratings, and corrective actions.
• Lead control-environment reporting, dashboards, deficiency reporting, the annual Management Assurance Report, and stakeholder engagement with Risk Management, Internal Audit, and External Audit.

Requirements

• Substantial experience in internal controls, risk assurance, internal audit, SOX/ICFR, or a comparable control-assurance environment, including ownership or leadership of an enterprise control framework.
• Experience establishing, transforming, or maturing an Internal Control Framework across multiple business domains.
• Advanced practical knowledge of control design, walkthroughs, operating-effectiveness testing, evidence evaluation, deficiency assessment, and remediation governance.
• Strong judgement, leadership, communication, people-management, and executive-level reporting skills, with confidence challenging senior executives.
• Experience in a listed, regulated, international, or similarly complex environment, plus a strong understanding of the Three Lines Model.
• Fluent English required. German is beneficial but not required.

Nice to have

• CIA certification; CPA, ACCA, CISA, or an equivalent qualification.
• Familiarity with COSO/SOX, External Audit, and GRC platforms such as AuditBoard or Optro.
• Experience with AI-supported assurance workflows.
• Experience in healthcare, pharmacy, e-commerce, logistics, or another technology- and data-intensive environment.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible work-from-home arrangements where the role does not require office presence, including up to 20 days per year anywhere in the EU.
• Team-building events and regular company celebrations.
• €100 total monthly kindergarten grant for eligible childcare costs.
• Confidential, free mental-health support through nilo.
• Internal and external training, career development support, a fully funded Deutschland Ticket, and Urban Sports Club membership options.